#android

#android

For a while now, Google has been AI-ifying everything it owns, and the latest AI infusion just went straight to the Play Store on Android. This is now showing AI generated review summaries for apps listed in the store, which should save you a lot of time skimming various app reviews to get a feel for how good or bad a specific app is.

The new attack, named Pixnapping by the team of academic researchers who devised it, requires a victim to first install a malicious app on an Android phone or tablet. The app, which requires no system permissions, can then effectively read data that any other installed app displays on the screen. Pixnapping has been demonstrated on Google Pixel phones and the Samsung Galaxy S25 phone and likely could be modified to work on other models with additional work.

Boox - the brand behind the smartphone-sized Android e-readers is gearing up to launch a new entry with the P6 Pro. It's still as compact as a phone like previous entries, but it will be available with an optional color e-ink display and a SIM slot for 4G and 5G data connectivity. Boox P6 Pro One of the big missing features on the Boox Palma 2 was the lack of cellular connectivity so the P6 Pro is bringing a welcome addition.

The skins are also available for Samsung, Google Pixel, and Apple's phones, including the iPhone Air and iPhone 17 lineup. "When Tim Cook hand-picked the new Cosmic Orange colorway, he had no idea we'd be ripping it off for a colormatched skin," Dbrand said in its press release. "To be fair, we didn't think it'd be popular enough to warrant a ripoff. Now that it has, we're all too happy to turn your Android into a Temu iPhone."

Without directly naming SafetyCore, Google explained that the optional setting can blur photos that may contain nudity and display a warning before you view or share them. Sensitive Content Warnings appears to use SafetyCore to analyze images locally on your device. Google has emphasized that SafetyCore runs entirely on your phone -- images don't leave your device, and Google doesn't know if nudity was flagged.

"The F-Droid project cannot require that developers register their apps through Google, but at the same time, we cannot 'take over' the application identifiers for the open-source apps we distribute, as that would effectively seize exclusive distribution rights to those applications," he said. "If it were to be put into effect, the developer registration decree will end the F-Droid project and other free/open source app distribution sources as we know them today," said Prud'hommeaux.

I regularly restart my Pixel 9 Pro, and there's a good reason for that. Actually, there are several reasons why I regularly restart my phone (weekly -- at least). Here's a short list for you to ponder: Improves performance by clearing temporary caches. Enhances security by disrupting possible cyberattacks and clearing possible malware stored in memory. Resolves issues such as if your phone has slowed down, is getting hot, apps are crashing, and you're having connectivity issues, a restart often will fix those issues.

The Ultraloq Bolt NFC smart lock is receiving a free upgrade that enables near-field communication (NFC) tap-to-unlock with compatible Android phones. The model currently supports Apple's Home Key, which lets you tap-to-unlock with an iPhone. The update makes it one of the first locks to offer the functionality across both iOS and Android, without requiring the phone to be unlocked or specific apps to be running. The ability comes via a free software upgrade to the U Home app, available now in the Google Play Store.

Google giveth - and Google taketh away. If there's one thing we've learned as Android-adoring animals over the years, it's that you can't ever fully count on Google to stick with something forever. The company pivots, rebrands, and eradicates apps and options as often as I eat waffles (which, conveniently enough, seems to be roughly once every few months). And sometimes, that means something genuinely useful that you rely on and appreciate suddenly ceases to exist.

What this means is that, if there is an application that Google does not like, be it because it does not conform to its policies, politics or economic incentives, they can simply keep you from running that application on your own device. They are locking down Android devices from running applications not with their purview. The ask? All developers, whether submitting their apps through the Play store or not, need to give their personal information to Google.

If you ask a podcast aficionado for a recommendation, there's a good chance they'll say Pocket Casts. It's got a clean, intuitive interface that makes managing your subscriptions a breeze.

Google is developing a new Linux terminal app that runs a full Debian environment, enabling developers to build Android apps directly on their devices.

The Lava Blaze Dragon is a budget smartphone designed for today's youth, powered by the Snapdragon 4 Gen 2 SoC with 4GB of LPDDR4X RAM and 128GB of UFS 3.1 storage.